BIENNIAL REPORT of the ATTORNEY GENERAL STATE OF FLORIDA January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018 ASHLEY MOODY Attorney General Tallahassee, Florida 2019 CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL The revised Constitution of Florida of 1968 sets out the duties of the Attorney General in Subsection (c), Section 4, Article IV, as: “...the chief state legal offi cer.” By statute, the Attorney General is head of the Department of Legal Affairs, and supervises the following functions: Serves as legal advisor to the Governor and other executive offi cers of the State and state agencies; Defends the public interest; Represents the State in legal proceedings; Keeps a record of his or her offi cial acts and opinions; Serves as a reporter for the Supreme Court. ii STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHLEY MOODY May 23, 2019 The Honorable Ron DeSantis Governor of Florida The Capitol Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001 Dear Governor DeSantis: Pursuant to my constitutional duties and the statutory requirement that this offi ce periodically publish a report on the Attorney General offi cial opinions, I submit herewith the biennial report of the Attorney General for the two preceding years from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018. This report includes the opinions rendered, an organizational chart, and personnel list. The opinions are alphabetically indexed by subject in the back of the report with a table of constitutional and statutory sections cited in the opinions. It’s an honor to serve the people of Florida with you. Sincerely, Ashley Moody Attorney General iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Constitutional Duties of the Attorney General .......................................ii Letter of Transmittal .....................................................................................iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................... iv Attorneys General of Florida since 1845 .................................................... v Department of Legal Affairs .........................................................................vi Statement of Policy Concerning Attorney General Opinions ........... xii Seal of the Attorney General of Florida ................................................ xvii OPINIONS Opinions 2017 ....................................................................................................1 Opinions 2018 ..................................................................................................34 INDEX AND CITATOR General Index ..................................................................................................59 Citator to Florida Statutes, Constitution, and Session Laws ............................................................................................63 iv ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF FLORIDA SINCE 1845 Joseph Branch ............................................................... 1845-1846 Augustus E. Maxwell .................................................... 1846-1848 James T. Archer ........................................................... 1848-1848 David P. Hogue .............................................................. 1848-1853 Mariano D. Papy ............................................................1853-1860 John B. Galbraith.......................................................... 1860-1868 James D. Wescott, Jr. ................................................... 1868-1868 A. R. Meek ....................................................................... 1868-1870 Sherman Conant ........................................................... 1870-1870 J. P. C. Drew ................................................................... 1870-1872 H. Bisbee, Jr. .................................................................. 1872-1872 J. P. C. Emmons ............................................................. 1872-1873 William A. Cocke ........................................................... 1873-1877 George P. Raney ............................................................ 1877-1885 C. M. Cooper ................................................................... 1885-1889 William B. Lamar .......................................................... 1889-1903 James B. Whitfi eld ........................................................ 1903-1904 W. H. Ellis ........................................................................ 1904-1909 Park Trammell ............................................................... 1909-1913 Thomas F. West ..............................................................1913-1917 Van C. Swearingen........................................................ 1917-1921 Rivers Buford .................................................................1921-1925 J. B. Johnson .................................................................. 1925-1927 Fred H. Davis ................................................................. 1927-1931 Cary D. Landis ............................................................... 1931-1938 George Couper Gibbs ................................................... 1938-1941 J. Tom Watson ................................................................ 1941-1949 Richard W. Ervin ........................................................... 1949-1964 James W. Kynes ............................................................. 1964-1965 Earl Faircloth ................................................................ 1965-1971 Robert Shevin ................................................................ 1971-1979 Jim Smith ........................................................................1979-1987 Robert A. Butterworth .................................................1987-2002 Richard E. Doran ......................................................... 2002-2003 Charlie Crist .................................................................. 2003-2007 Bill McCollum ................................................................ 2007-2011 Pam Bondi ...................................................................... 2011-2019 Ashley Moody ................................................................. 2019- v 67$7(2))/25,'$ 2)),&(2)7+($77251(<*(1(5$/ DVRI'HFHPEHU )/25,'$ ,163(&725*(1(5$/ $77251(<*(1(5$/ 67$7(:,'(3526(&8725 &+,()'(387< $77251(<*(1(5$/ '(387< '(387< $77251(<*(1(5$/ $77251(<*(1(5$/ 9,&7,06(59,&(6&5,0,1$/ $662&,$7('(387< $662&,$7('(387< -867,&(',5(&725',52)/$: $662&,$7('(387< 62/,&,725*(1(5$/ (1)25&(0(175(/$7,216 0(',&$,')5$8' &5,0,1$/$33($/6 *(1(5$/&,9,//,7,*$7,21 ',5(&7252) ,1)250$7,217(&+12/2*< $17,75867DQG $'0,1,675$7,21 ',5(&725 08/7,67$7(/,7,*$7,21 ',5(&7252) &20081,&$7,216 ),1$1&($1'$&&2817,1* &,7,=(16(59,&(6 %85($8&+,() ',5(&725 /(021/$:$5%,75$7,21 vi ',5(&725 ',5(&7252) /(*,6/$7,9($))$,56 *(1(5$/6(59,&(6 ',5(&7252) %85($8&+,() &$%,1(7$))$,56 &,9,/5,*+76 ',5(&725 63(&,$/&2816(/)25 23(5$7,216$1'%8'*(7 /(*$/23,1,216 23(1*29(510(17 %85($8&+,() ',5(&725 &21680(53527(&7,21 ',5(&725 +80$15(6285&(6 %85($8&+,() 9,&7,0&203(16$7,21 %85($8&+,() (',6&29(5< /,7,*$7,21 &5,0,1$/-867,&(352*5$06 6833257 %85($8&+,() &21680(53527(&7,21 67$7(352*5$06 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 &5,0,1$/$33($/6 &203/(;/,7,*$7,21 $667'(387<)7/$8'(5'$/( 6287+)/%85($8&+,() $'92&$&<*5$1760*07 :(673$/0%&+%85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() &21680(53527(&7,21 0(',&$,')5$8' &5,0,1$/$33($/6 5(9(18(/,7,*$7,21 &255(&7,216 &(175$/)/%85($8&+,() &203/(;&,9,/(1)25&(0(17 0,$0,)7/$8'%85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() &21680(53527(&7,21 0(',&$,')5$8' &$3,7$/$33($/6 7257/,7,*$7,21 1257+)/%85($8&+,() '(387<',5(&725/$: $'0,1,675$7,9(/$: (1)25&(0(170$-25 %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 7$03$%85($8&+,() &21680(53527(&7,21 &5,0,1$/$33($/6 (03/2<0(17/,7,*$7,21 08/7,67$7((1)25&(0(17&+,() (7+,&6 7$//$+$66((%85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() %85($8&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 0(',&$,')5$8' 25/$1'2%85($8&+,() 1257+(515(*,21$/&+,() &5,0,1$/$33($/6 *(1(5$/&,9,/ *(1(5$/&,9,/ '$<721$%85($8&+,() )7/$8':3%%85($8&+,() 7$03$%85($8&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 0(',&$,')5$8' )70<(56%85($8&+,() &(175$/5(*,21$/&+,() &5,0,1$/$33($/6 7$03$%85($8&+,() &+,/'5(1 6/(*$/69&6 /$:/,%5$5< )/(/(&7,216&200,66,21 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 (;(&87,9(',5(&725 0(',&$,')5$8' )7/$8'(5'$/(&+,() 6287+(515(*,21$/&+,() :(673$/0%&+ &+,/'6833257 &+,/'5(1 6/(*$/69&6 (1)25&(0(17%85($8&+,() &2002167$7862):20(1 7$03$&+,() 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 (;(&87,9(',5(&725 0,$0,%85($8&+,() &6(673(7( &281&,/217+(62&,$/ 67$7(:,'(3526(&87,21 67$7862) -$&.6219,//(%85($8&+,() %/$&.0(1$1'%2<6 &6()7/$8'(5'$/( &6(7$//$+$66(( OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (as of December 31, 2018) The Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050 (850) 245-0140 PAMELA BONDI ATTORNEY GENERAL PATRICIA CONNERS PATRICIA GLEASON STEVE RUMPH JR. DEPUTY SPECIAL COUNSEL INSPECTOR GENERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT NICOLAS COX AMITABH AGARWAL EMERY GAINEY STATEWIDE PROSECUTOR SOLICITOR GENERAL DIRECTOR OF LAW ENFORCEMENT VICTIMS & CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM CAROLYN SNURKOWSKI JIM VARNADO CHESTERFIELD SMITH JR. ASSOCIATE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ASSOCIATE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL MEDICAID FRAUD ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CRIMINAL APPEALS FOR GENERAL CIVIL LITIGATION DANILLE CARROLL ANDREW J. BENARD SABRINA DONOVAN DIRECTOR OF CIVIL ASSISTANT DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF RIGHTS ATTORNEY GENERAL & ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL COUNSEL VICKI BUTLER NILDA PEDROSA DANA WIEHLE DIRECTOR OF DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF DIRECTOR OF LEMON LAW CONSUMER PROTECTION WHITNEY RAY KIMBERLI OSWALD DOUG SMITH COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR CITIZEN SERVICES INFORMATION SERVICES vii Kimberly Acuna